---
title: "Citizenship without refusal: Ukraine opens simplified path for residents of Moldova"
description: "Ukraine has opened a simplified path to citizenship for residents of Moldova. Now, neighbors can obtain a passport without renouncing their current one by passing exams in history and language. Kyiv called this a response to Russia's attempts to destabilize the region and a step towards strengthening ties. 🇺🇦🤝🇲🇩"
date: 2026-06-26T11:02:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-opens-simplified-path-to-citizenship-for-moldova-residents
tags: []
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Citizenship without refusal: Ukraine opens simplified path for residents of Moldova

![Migration service officer consulting a Moldovan citizen in an office regarding simplified acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/26/ukraina-otkryla-uproschhennyj-put-k-grazhdanstvu-dlya-moldovy/ukraina-otkryla-uproschhennyj-put-k-grazhdanstvu-dlya-moldovy-1.webp)

Ukraine has expanded the geographical scope of the law on simplified acquisition of citizenship. Now, this mechanism is available to residents of neighboring Republic of Moldova. This was announced by the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Sviridenko, confirming that the government has officially included Moldova in the list of countries whose citizens can use the new procedure.

### A logical step in the face of a common threat

According to the head of the Ukrainian government, the decision was discussed with the Prime Minister of Moldova, Alexandru Munteanu. Both sides called this step a natural consequence, given the common border, the unified vector of movement towards the European Union, and mutual support in the face of Russian aggression.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiga, characterized the event as a strategic step. He noted that this is not just a formal expansion of the list of countries, but a response to attempts by the aggressor state to destabilize Moldova through manipulation of citizenship issues in the Transnistrian region.

"This is a logical step in the development of relations with a country that has been helping our citizens and supporting Ukraine since the first days of the full-scale invasion," Sybiga emphasized.

### Conditions for obtaining a passport

The new edition of the Law of Ukraine "On Citizenship of Ukraine" allows obtaining a Ukrainian passport without renouncing the existing one. Previously, this opportunity was available to ethnic Ukrainians from EU countries, the UK, Canada, USA, Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland. Now the legal mechanism is also available to neighbors from Chisinau.

To obtain citizenship, it is necessary to pass exams in three disciplines:

- Ukrainian language;

- Constitution of Ukraine;

- History of Ukraine.

At the moment, taking exams is only possible on the territory of Ukraine.

### The scale of the Ukrainian diaspora

There is a large and active Ukrainian community in Moldova. As of February 2026, there are more than 130,000 Ukrainians in the republic, including about 20,000 children. Kyiv is interested in ensuring that ethnic Ukrainians abroad have more opportunities to maintain ties with their homeland.

### Development of transport infrastructure

Alongside citizenship issues, the leaders of the two countries discussed the development of logistics. The focus is on the construction of a new bridge between Ukraine and Moldova, which will create additional opportunities for citizens and businesses.

Transport cooperation is already showing growth. "Ukrzaliznytsia" has changed the schedule of the "Bessarabia" train (Kyiv — Chisinau): it now runs daily. The time of the return trip has been adjusted for the convenience of passengers heading to the Moldovan airport. In addition, Ukraine has extended the validity of the "transport visa-free" regime with the neighboring country for several more years.